The National tribune., 1887-12-01

20 such a statement rs Mr.. welch has made. And
i am certain no honorable soldier or gentleman
will ask 10 share the glory he may make out OF so
base an act.
/ suppose opinions differ, and or any one
might say that no honorable soldier or gentle
man would lay claim TO honOrs that did not
belong 10 him; and considering the fact that
for % years Col. Hawkins and his regiment
have claimed the credit of an action that would
have been glorious had itactualiy occurred, and
claimed il 20 the detriment Of men who actually
did something at Roanoke Island, and that they
now claim il, would seem TO leave no chance
for difference OF opinion as to whore the
honorable soldier and gentleman business
comes in.
About not making written reports Col
Hawkins says:
Up 10 that time had not been Ia the habit Of
making written reports. At Newport News we had
been engaged In several little affairs more or less
credtable. and in each instance reported verbally
To Col. Phelps. commanding the post; and then,
when we assisted the navy la the capture of Forts
Raiteras and Clark 10y landing troops through the
surf aud rcscung others from impending death
who had been launched into most dangerous posi-
tons in the breakers Of the Ilatteras coast con-
tinued my careless habit of making no report. and
had worked myself into the belief that efficient
troops were Of more value than written reports,
and that time devoted 10 the latter WAS about tie
same as thrown away.
When / saw this. was much interested to
know why, if the 9th n. 7. assisted the navy
at the capture of Hateras Inlet, Col. ii. did
not make any report and looked the matter
up found on page $50 Vol. 4, Series !, of
Records of War of Rebellion" the report of
Col Max Weber. Of the both y. Y, the man
who commanded the detachment OF 3lS men
that landed Aug pc. lS6l, and assisted the
navy" at the capture of Forts Hatteras aud
Clark. This detachment of 3lS men was COM
posed OF Regulars, Marines, sailors aud detach-
ments from three infantry organizations, and
of this Bis, there were is OF the 9th y. Y, COM
manded by Capt. Jardine. Now, what could
Col. Hawkins report about? Any one reading
Col. Hawkins's article, us above quoted, would
think the 9th N. Y.
DID ALL THE WORK
at Hatteras Inlet but when you read the report
Of Col. Weber you see differently. Col. Haw-
kins didn't land at latteas Inlet until Aug.
80. the day after the surrender Of the forts, and
he didn't have anything TO do with the sur
render but being senior Colonel present. he
was LEFT in command, and find = report from
! him. dated Sept Z, 1861. directed To Maj Gen.
Wool AT Fort Monroe; also. one dated Sept. ii D,
and these two cover three full pages of the re-
port spoken of: also. one dated sept. 10 and
one Sept. 81, and these two cover as much space
rs the others; and | find "A last and final one,
dated Oct. 5, more than filling one page. aud
all of these by man that was not in the habit
/ of max ing written reports! THIS final one on
pages 623 aud 62l Of Vol of Records, is inter
estng 10 say the least What Hawkins Zou-
ayes did before or after the engagement ut RO-
anoke Island has no bearing on their doings
there. and would not have been brought in
here. had not the Colonel lugged them in.
think the fact has been sufficiently shown that
all the charges, il they can be called so, made
by me in the article 30 savagely attacked 10y
! Col. Hawkins. are true; and also il has been
shown that Col. Hawkins has garbed the OIL.
cial reports quoted lay him, for the purpose Of
bolstering his false claim.